Soda-motor



(,No Model.) I

A. J. GRAFENSTATT & W. TWEEDIE.

SODA MOTOR. No. 357,592. Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

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FFICEG ARNOLD J. GRAFENSTATT AND WILLIAM TVVEEDIE, OF MINNEAPOLIS,

MINNESOTA.

SODA-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,592, dated February 15, 1887.

Application tiled November 2,1886. Serial No. $7,774. (No model.) I

To all whom it 12mg concern.-

Be it known that we, ARNOLD J. G-RAFEN- STATT and VVILLIAM TWEEDIE, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soda-Motors, of which the following overcome the defects in preexisting soda-motors, as isin that specification fully set out, by evaporating the moisture and reconcentrating and reheating the soda while in position for work under the water-boiler, by lengthening the life of the sodai. 0., extending the time of its activity before saturation and back-pressure in the soda'boiler by the use of superheated steam, and byirnproved means of applying our improvements in the process.

The boiler herein fully shown and described is constructed on the plan suggested (but not shown nor described) in our said patent hereinbefore named, wherein our right to apply for Letters Patent on the same was reserved.

Our invention consists in the process and means for applying the same hereinafter described and claimed.

The improvements herein disclosed are designed for application not only to rapid-transit street-railways in the midst of dense populations,where it is of great importance to avoid noise and smoke, but are intended for general application to all kinds of engines, whether locomotives or stationary, wherever economy of fuel is an object.

In the accompanying drawings, like letters referring to like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a longitudinal-sectional elevation of our improved apparatus on the line Y Y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section onthe line X X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coil of pipe used for superheating the steam.

.A is the soda-boiler. B O c D is the waterboiler, which is partly above the soda-boiler and partly immersed within the soda in the soda-boiler. The out-side sheets of the two boilers are curved to the lines of a circle from a common center, and the two parts are securely fastened together by angle-iron flanges at their points of union, so that the two have the appearance of a single boiler, and, in fact, constitute one and the same inclosing-case. To the bottom sheet, 0, are attached a series of pendentwater tubes or flues, c, separated a short distance attheir points of communication with O, and converging to common and larger horizontal water-fines, D, near the bottom of the soda-boiler. These horizontal flues D extend the entire length of the boilers-one on each side, near the botton1-and are supported in part by the pendent water-lines c, to which they are attached, and in part by supports attached to the bottom of the sodaboiler. Of the pendent flues 0 there are a large number, communicating from the water-chamber B to the horizontal water-fines D.

The compound water and soda boiler as now described is placed intermediate the smokechamber E and the firebox F, as in a common locomotive. Secured in the end plates of the soda-boiler, and passing through the sodaboiler from the firebox F to the smoke-chamber E, are a series of flame and smoke flues, f. These are so placed as not to interfere with the removal or insertion of the pendent part of the water boiler. To the smoke-chamber E is attached a smoke-stack, G, as in the ordinary engine. At some convenient points in the soda-boiler escape-pipes H, provided with stop-cocks h, are attached, communicating with the interior of the soda-boiler, above the level of the soda. These are for use when evaporating the moisture from the soda, as in our former patent, and for further functions, hereinafter stated.

In the water-boiler, by a vertical extension of under and attached by staples or otherwise to the crown-sheet of the fire-box, and thence is continued through the soda-boiler, preferably on some line near the center ofthe same, and into thesteam-oylinder. (NOtSllOWlL) Steam is admitted to this dry pipe from chamber 1) by a common balanced valve under the control of the engineer. From the steam-cylinder the exhaust-pipe L extendsinto the smoke chamber,andis provided with the extension L, leading into the body of the soda, with its outlet immersed therein and near the bottom of the same. Another extension, L, leads upward in the smoke-chamber, with its nozzleoutlet in the smoke stack. A three -way cock, Z, turns the exhauststcam into the soda orsmoke stack, as may be desired.

The dry pipe K K passes out of and into the boilers through suitable stufiing-boxes. The pipe L and the blow-off pipe R are also provided with similar stuffingboxes where they pass through the end of the boiler. Such stufling-boxes are necessary to prevent escape of steam from the boilers.

An ejector, M, is applied to the escapepipe H, forthe purpose of creatinga vacuum in the escape-pipe and removing the water, vapor, &(3., from the top of the soda, when so desired.

In case an air-brake isused on the principle of the Eames air-brake,a small tube, N, is attached to the ejector and extended to the cylinder or collapsing head, whereby the air may be drawn therefrom and the brake set at will by atmospheric pressure. Our ejector is thus made to serve a double purpose. To the escape-pipe H is also attached a pipe, P, provided with a stop-cock and leading to some suitable receptacle, (not shown,) which may be attached to the boiler or frame at any c011- venient point.

In concentrating the soda at temperatures between about from 180 to 210 centigrade, the soda foams and a considerable quantity of scum rises to the top. It is desirable to get rid of this scum, and the pipe P is provided for that purpose.

A blow-off pipe, 11, extends from the flue D through a stalling-box in the end of the boiler into the smoke-chamber, where it is provided with a stopcock, B. This is to give a convenient means of cleaning out the waterboiler, enabling us to wash it out from above.

In the firebox F we use any kind of fuel we may find most suitable in each caseas coal, wood, oil, gas, naphtha, gasoline, petroleum, &c. \Vhereit is no especial object to avoid noise or smoke, we would probably use coal or wood, as in the common locomotive. \Vhcre it is of primary importance to avoid noise and smoke, we would use oil, gas, or their equivalents, and rearrange our combustion-chamber as might be found necessaryfor example, as in our former patent.

The operation is as follows: The soda solution is placed in the soda-boiler A, surrounding the flameflucs f and water-fines D c, and water is placed in the water-boiler B O c D.

The soda solution maybe put in the boiler, in the first place", at a high temperature, or may be raised to the requisite working temperature by fire in the fire-box F. Vhen the soda reaches the working temperature, it will generate steam in the water-boiler. This will pass into the dry pipe and into the coil, where it will be superheated. Thence it will be conducted through extension of K to the steanr cylinder of the engine. There it will drive the engine in the customary way, and the exhaust will pass through L L into the soda solution, where it will be absorbed up to the point of saturation. In virtue of the steam being superheated, less of it will be required to drive the engine, owing to its greater expansibility, and it will be drier; hence the soda will continue to absorb the exhaust-steam for a greater length of time. In other words, the life of the soda is lengthened. It will act longer bei'ore'reaohing the poiutof saturation or showing back-pressure. Incidentally, it should be noted that as the steam is superheated while passing through the soda, it does not rob the soda of its heat. During this period of the sodas prime activity little fuel need be used in the fire-box. That little, however, Will serve tolengtheiithe life of the soda by helping to maintain its temperature and keep it dry. Sooner or later, however, the soda will become saturated and cease to absorb the exhaust-steam. Before that point of complete saturation is reached back-pressure will be shown. Then we turn the exhaust into L", creating a blast, and put on more fuel. We also open the escape-pipes and turn on the ejector, which quickly clears the sodaboiler of all free water, vapor, and steam. The hot live fire then acts very rapidly on the soda, evaporating the moisture therefrom and reconcentrating and reheating the same to the req uisite working temperature. Then the escape-pipes are again closed, the exhaust-steam turned into the soda, and it operates as in the first place. During the reheating, while the temperature is between 180 and 210 centigrade, the pipe 1? is kept open to allow the escape of any scum that may arise. The engine will not need to be stopped, for this reconcentrating will be started before the point of complete saturation is reached, while the soda is still at a temperature sufficiently high to generate steam in the watenboilcr, and only a very short time will be required to restore it to its high initial temperature. It will thus be seen that we provide a continuous motive power. Owing to the peculiar property possessed by the soda of absorbing steam for a considerable (though a limited) time, the work of resistance to the atmosphere is avoided, much less fuel is required than where steam is raised from water by the direct application of fuel, and, in virtue of using superheated steam, the period of the sodas activity is very materially lengthened and the quantity of fuel tivityi. 6., between the instant ofattaining its high initial temperatureand the instant of approximate saturation, a period of several hoursthe locomotive is run without a blast and with very little fire in the fire-box. In case heat of considerable intensity is required under the coil to continuously superheat the steam during this period, the combustion in the fire-box will be made complete by thoroughly commingling a large quantity of oxygen with the carbon of the fuel. This can readily be done by using jets of oil or gas or petroleum and mixing air thoroughly therewith, on the Bunsen-burner principle, or by using ejectornozzles and thereby commingling a spray of steam and vaporized oil, whereby not only a very large quantity of oxygen would be supplied for chemical union with the carbon of the oil, but the hydrogen from the spray of steam would also be burned. On this principle an extremely intense heat may be obtained under the coil without any smoke; hence our motor may be run during the period of the sodas activity without noise (from blast) and without smoke. This fact especially adapts it to the requirements of rapid-transit railroads in the midst of dense populations. The period of the sodas activity without reconcentration is abundantly sufficient to make the trip throughv the densely-populated portion of the city and back to the rural or outlying section, and while traversing the rural section the soda may be reconcentrated, and the motor will be again ready for the urban part of its travel.

The period required for reconcentration by our apparatus is, however, so short, and the times of reconcentration so infrequent relative to the periods of prime activity, that even it the reconcentration be eitected within the densely-populated portion the noise and smoke would be comparatively unobjectionable.

It will thus be seen that we have made material. improvements on the process described in our former patent. In this application,as well as in that patent,we disclose complete and adequate means for reconcentrating the soda While in position for work under the water-boiler without withdrawing it from the boiler, thereby dispensing with the expensive apparatus at the fixed station for getting it out of the boiler, concentrating it, and getting it back into the boiler, and avoiding the necessity of keeping the engine idle nearly onehalf the time.

The special features of our compound boiler are that we bring the water into intimate contact with the hot soda, and bring the soda into contact with a very large heating-surface, to which the heat from the fuel is directly applied. By its two-part detachable construction the water and soda boilers are also readily separated for the purpose of cleaning and repairs.

By our ejector we produce a vacuumin the escape-pipes at will, and readily and quickly remove the free water, vapor, and steam from the soda-boiler, enabling the fire to more quickly reconcentrate the soda. Thereby we dispense with the vacuum-pumpsa costly part of the old apparatus-for reconcentrating at the fixed station, as was done before our inventions.

We desire protection on our improvements in the process and our apparatus for applying the same as herein disclosed.

WVhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,in this application is as follows:

l. The process of the continuous generation of power by the use of caustic soda or equivalent, which consists in applying said caustic soda or equivalent in a heated condition to the boiler within an inclosing-case, and regenerating and reheating said caustic soda or equivalent,when desired, by applying heat to the interior of said inclosing-case,su'bstantially as described.

2. The novel process herein disclosed for producing and utilizing power, consisting in (a) generating steam by the application of hot caustic soda or equivalent to the water-boiler, (b) superheating the steam thus obtained and applying it as a motor through the ordinary engine, (0) absorbing the superheated exhauststeam into the soda, whereby the period of the sodas activityis lengthened,substantially as described.

3. The novel process herein disclosed for producing and utilizing power,consistingin (at)- raising caustic soda or equivalent to a high initial temperature and evaporating the moistfire therefrom by fuel burned in contact with the reservoir containing said soda, (6) applying the heat from the causticsoda to the steamgenerator, (0) superheating the steam thus obtained, (d) applying the superheated steam as a motor through the ordinary engine, (6) absorbing the exhauststeam into the soda up to the point of approximate saturation, (f) reconcentrating the soda and restoring the initial temperature by step (a) whenever required without removal of the soda from the boiler.

4.. In soda-motors, as described, the process of reconcentrating the soda and restoring initial temperature by (at) removing the free water, vapor, and steam from the soda by the production of a vacuum in escapepipes communicating with the soda-boiler (b) by applying heat directly to the soda in position in and without removal from the working soda-boiler.

5. In soda-motors, a compound water and soda boiler, consisting of a soda-compartment and a water-compartment for containing the soda solution, provided with water-fines communioating with each other and with said water compartment, and extending into and through the soda solution, whereby the water is kept in constant circulation from the watercompartment through the flues in the soda solution, and the most favorable conditions are obtained for generating steam by heat from the soda.

IIC

6. In soda-motors, a compound water and soda boiler, consisting of a soda-compartment provided with heating and draft flues from end to end, and a water-compartment provided with water-fines extending into and through said solution, substantially as described.

7. In soda-motors, a compound water and soda boiler, consisting of a soda-compartment provided with heating and draft fines, and a water-compartment provided with water-fines extending into and through the soda solution, in combination with a fire-box and smoke arch provided with smoke-stack, substantially as described.

8. In soda-motors, a compound soda and water boiler, consisting of soda-compartment provided with heat and draft fines, and a water-compartment provided with water-fines extending into and through the soda solution, in combination with a firebox, a smoke-arch provided with smoke-stack, and a blast within the smoke-arch and smoke-stack, substantially as described.

.9. In soda-motors, a compound soda and waterboiler,consisting of a soda-compartment in direct contact with a source of heat, and a watereompart-mentprovided with a water and steam space above the soda solution,and pendent and horizontal watenflues immersed within the soda solution, substantially as described.

10. In soda-motors, in combination, sodaboiler A, provided with horizontal heat and draft flues f, and water-boiler B C c D, consisting of water and steam space B, pendent water-fines c, and horizontal fines D, immersed in the soda solution,substantially as described,

whereby a compound soda and water boiler is provided especially adapted to the needs of a soda-motor.

11. In a soda-motor, in combination with the soda-boiler, escape-pipe attached to the same, and an ejector attached at its nozzle end to the escape-pipe and communicating at the other end with a reservoir of steam, whereby a vacuum may be formed in the escape-pipe and the free water, vapor, and steam be removed from the soda-boilcr.

12. In a soda-motor, in combination, escapepipes H, ejector M, and brake exhaust-pipe N, whereby the free water, vapor, and steam may be removed from the soda-boiler and an air-brake be set at the same time.

13. In a soda-motor, in combination with the exhaust-steam pipe L, provided with extension L, leading into the soda solution, and the extension L, leading to the smoke-stack, the three-way cock Z, whereby the exhauststeam may be turned into the soda or up the smoke-pipe and used as a blast at will.

14. In a soda-motor, the live-steam pipe K K, leading from the steam-dorne in the waterboiler through a coil in the fire -box and through the soda solution into the steam-cylinder, whereby the steam is delivered to the engine in a superheated condition.

15. In a soda-motor, the live-steam pipe K K, passing through coil in fire-box and the soda solution to the engine, as described, in combination with exhauststeam pipe L, provided with extension L, whereby the steam is superheated before use and the life of the soda is prolonged.

16. In combination, the compound water and soda boiler A f B 00D, as described, firebox F, smoke-arch E, provided with smokestack G, live-steam pipe K K, with coil in lire-box, as described, exhaust-steam pipe L, with extensions L and L, and threeway cock l, substantially as described.

17. In combination, compound water and soda boiler Af B G c D, as described, fire-box F, smoke-arch E, with smoke-stack G, live pipe K K, with coil in tire-box, exhaust-steam pipe L L L, cock Z, escape-pipes II, ejector M, and air-brake exhaust N, all substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

18. In a soda-motor, in combination with soda-boiler A and escape-pipes H, the wastepipe P, provided with a stop-cock, substantially as described.

19. In a soda-motor, in combination with the horizontal water-flue, D, of the water-boiler B O c D, the blow-off R, provided with stopcock R in the smoke-arch E, substantially as described, whereby the water-boiler may be readily cleaned out.

ARNOLD J. G-RAFENSTATT. WILLIAM TWVEEDIE.

In presence of- J AS. F. WILLIAMSON, EMMA F. ELMoRE. 

